About

€14,187

pledged of €14,000 goal

202

backers

THE FILM

Inner Me is a short documentary that weaves together the stories of Immaculée, Jemima, Sylvie and Stuka, 4 deaf women struggling against marginalization in the city of Butembo, in North Kivu, DR Congo, a country defined by war.

While filming his previous documentary The Silent Chaos in Butembo, director Antonio met a community of deaf people and was deeply moved by their need to communicate and share their experiences. He returned to Butembo in 2014 to help the voiceless narrate their own stories.

In Congo women’s voices are rarely heard. Victims of a systemic rape culture, women often face oppression, discrimination and abuse.

Being deaf marginalizes a woman even more. People who can’t hear and can’t be heard are outcasts in their own home. Congolese society commonly believes deaf people, among others with disabilities, are possessed by demons cursing their families.

Through their eyes and intimate reflections, the women share their powerful stories of struggle and survival revealing the beautiful resilience of the human spirit.

Inner Me is our inner voice. That voice that is so clear within us, but that we all have had difficulties revealing to the world. Communication and relationships are primal necessities for all of us. Deaf people are the example of the effort it takes to communicate our Inner Me.

THE PROTAGONISTS

Immaculée became deaf when she was 6 after contracting bacterial meningitis. In high school she was a bright and hardworking student and graduated earning higher grades than most of her hearing classmates. She dreams of going to university.

Immaculée, 26 years old.

Jemima, the story's guide, is a hard working student in her 6th year at the Butembo School for the Deaf. She spends her free time exploring the chaotic streets of the city. In the story we follow her into the beating heart of Butembo and witness her world through her own eyes.

Jemima, 13 years old.

Stuka lost most of her family during the civil war. She works as an apprentice at a tailor's shop in the suburbs of Butembo with no salary because she is deaf so she has to depend on her relatives. She dreams of becoming independent by making and selling her own clothes.

Stuka, 38 years old.

Sylvie became deaf when she was 4 after contracting bacterial meningitis. She is a single mother and makes a living selling fruit in the streets of Butembo. Her story of courage and determination is shown through her relationship with her hearing daughter.

Sylvie, 30 years old.

OUR AUDIENCE

Inner Me will inspire many kinds of people regardless of their background and whether they have normal hearing or are deaf. It is a story about women, courage and the power of communication and relationships in our lives.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

We are so close to finishing our film, but the reality is we need your support to cover the post-production expenses and share the project with the world.

With your help we will reach our funding goal of€14,000 (about $15,000/£10,000), which is the absolute minimum in order to complete the film and bring the project to life.

The money raised will go directly towards:

Original soundtrack

Sound editing and mixing

Color correction

Voiceover, translations and subtitling

Graphic design

Promotional material and prints

Submission fees to international film festivals

There are also additional costs, like Kickstarter fees and fulfilling and shipping rewards out to you.

Kickstarter is an ALL OR NOTHING platform, so we will only receive funding if we reach 100% of our goal of €14,000 by the deadline.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

BACK THE PROJECT. Check out our rewards and pledge whatever you can. Any large or small contribution brings us one step closer to reaching our goal and giving a voice to these stories.

SPREAD THE WORD! Please share our Kickstarter page on Twitter and Facebook and tell your friends and family about the project.

THE FILMMAKERS

Inner Me is Antonio's third film set in Congo as director and editor, after The Silent Chaos, selected in over 60 film festivals around the world and winner of 15 awards, and Animal Park, the most selected and awarded Italian short documentary of 2014.

THANK YOU from the Inner Me Team!

Risks and challenges

One of the biggest challenges for independent filmmakers is funding. With the money raised through Kickstarter, we will be able to complete post-production and make the film the best it can be before submitting it to festivals around the world. We hope our supporters will help us spread the word about the project in order to raise awareness about the struggles of deaf people in Congo.

Inner Me will hopefully be screened at several international film festivals in 2016. Due to the uncertain dates of the film's festival screenings and distribution details, there might be slight delays in delivering the DVDs and digital streaming links to our backers. We will keep our supporters up to date with any changes in reward fulfillment dates and ship the rewards as soon as possible.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €35 or more
About US$ 39

STRONG - We’ll mail you a HANDWRITTEN POSTCARD featuring an Inner Me still with heartfelt gratitude from the film director and writer (view images on innermemovie.com).
Plus all of the above rewards -- exclusive digital link to film (delivery June 2016) + official thanks for your support on our social media platforms and website.

Pledge €125 or more
About US$ 140

PLUS all of the above rewards -- a Special Thanks credit in the film + official poster + postcard collection + Inner Me DVD (delivery December 2016) + handwritten postcard + exclusive digital link + official thanks on social media and our website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €175 or more
About US$ 196

BRAVE - Receive an EXCLUSIVE SKYPE CALL from the production team! The film director and writer will personally thank you for your support. You can ask them anything you want about the film, production experience in Congo, submission process to film festivals, filmmaking, and much more!

You'll also receive an autographed DVD copy of director Spanò’s award winning documentary "The Silent Chaos" about the struggles of deaf people in Congo, a country defined war.

PLUS a Special Thanks credit in the film + official poster + Inner Me DVD (delivery December 2016) + handwritten postcard + exclusive digital link + official thanks on all our social media platforms and website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €200 or more
About US$ 224

ADVENTUROUS - Receive an INVITATION to an Inner Me SCREENING at a film festival of your choosing! We'll keep you posted on all festivals near you and around the world where Inner Me will be screened (travel and accommodation not included).

PLUS a Special Thanks credit in film + official poster + Inner Me DVD (delivery December 2016) + handwritten postcard + exclusive digital link + official thanks for your support on social media and our website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €500 or more
About US$ 559

FEARLESS - PRIVATE or COMMUNITY SCREENING followed by a Skype Q&A with the filmmakers! The director and writer will virtually attend your private or organization's event screening and answer any questions from the audience.

PLUS an Official Sponsor credit with your name and photo or logo in end credits and website + invitation to screening at a film festival of your choosing (travel and accommodation not included) + The Silent Chaos DVD + official poster + postcard collection + Inner Me DVD + handwritten postcard + exclusive digital link + thanks on social media and our website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge €2,000 or more
About US$ 2,236

LIONHEARTED - ONE WEEK STAY FOR TWO IN SIENA, ITALY with the director! You are invited to stay at the director's home and discover Siena, the stunning medieval city in Tuscany (travel expenses not included).

PLUS 2 invitations to screening at a film festival of your choosing (travel and accommodation not included) + Official Sponsor credit with your name and photo or logo in film end credits and website + official poster + postcard collection + 4 Inner Me DVDs (delivery December 2016) + handwritten postcard + exclusive digital link + official thanks on social media and our website.